this stage may become much more difficult to remove, if exposed to any form of steam finishing. There will also be stains that may not have responded to pre-spotting, such as blood and egg (which contain albumin), that if exposed to the heat of finishing may be very difficult to remove or, on some fabrics such as pure silk, impossible to remove without risk of colour or fabric damage.
Pressing issues
Pressing and ironing can prove very frustrating when, having invested a lot of time and effort on a complex item, a stain is noticed. In the case of small stains, the finisher may feel they are of little significance and decide to turn a blind eye, knowing full well that if the garment is returned and re-cleaned, they will have to start the finishing process all over again. As cleaners will know, there are also some stains that survive cleaning (and appear during drying or finishing) that can be “disappeared” by brushing or a light scratch with the fingernail. Bear in mind that this kind of stain may reappear later in storage, when small amounts of moisture from steam finishing evaporate. The same is true of other stains that if hydrated with the steam gun may disappear, only to reappear once again in storage.
Final inspection
To allow a variety of garments to be freely rotated at a convenient height, a light chain with suitably sized links is ideal. Final inspection is a difficult, repetitive and demanding task that requires an extremely high level of concentration if even fairly obvious faults are all to be identified, to say nothing of more minor finishing issues and stains. To avoid the problem of “looking but not seeing” inspection staff should not spend more than 45 minutes at the most before being relieved.
the final inspection procedure helping to ensure that differing garment types are all delivered back to the customer in the best possible condition.
Don’t make a joke out of failure!
The removal of stains is fundamental to the service offered by cleaners; failure to remove them is a common complaint and (in the absence of an advice note) frustrates, irritates and annoys customers and clearly demonstrates that, at the very least, the inspection procedure needs to be improved. No cleaner can afford to risk disappointing customers by failing to deliver on the basics and a thorough, detailed final inspection procedure prior to polyrobing is the only way to ensure that mistakes are kept to an absolute minimum. The inspection procedure should address the following questions:
Is the item clean and stain free? Has it been finished to the required standard?
Presentation – have zips been checked and if necessary lubricated, back pocket buttons fastened and so on. Have any additional services such as a new zip or replacement buttons been done.?
POOR POSITIONING: Serious faults such as this very poor trouser crease positioning are often missed if the inspector is not at their best
Every garment should be systematically inspected all over and the total of faults identified. It is a mistake to return an item as soon as a fault is found as there may be additional faults that need correcting in sequence; so, if there are stains and a finishing error, the stains need priority. Many finishers will have experienced the wasted time and the frustration of having finished a garment that they then find themselves finishing two or three times, because it had been re-cleaned when additional stains were found after it had been returned to final inspection. Presentation is an important aspect of
Presentation specification The following specification was developed by The Fabric Care Research Association to ensure that the appearance and functional features of garments could be consistently maintained at a high standard in storage by means of the final inspection procedure. There will of course always be cases where, due to the style or design of an individual garment, one or more of the presentation points for that garment would not be appropriate. Final inspection is your last opportunity to avoid a disappointed customer. It is not good enough for a garment to be spotlessly clean and well finished, because if the zip is stuck it is totally useless. It is not difficult to imagine the anger when a customer has collected their garment on the way to the airport only to find at their destination that a tailor repair such as an alteration or replacement zip has not been done. Make no mistake: it is a big deal if a garment has to be returned by the customer, so when you have done your best and an explanation is needed, make sure your advice notes deliver well-written, professional information and don’t use caricatures which make a joke out of failure, they send the wrong message to a disappointed customer.
Final inspection checklist
Jackets (single breasted) Lint removed – Unbuttoned Jackets (double breasted)
Lint removed – Inside button and out top button fastened
Trousers
Lint removed, also from turn-ups – Waistband tensioners released – Back pocket buttons fastened – Zips checked and lubricated – Zips left open
Dresses
Lint removed – Zips checked, lubricated where required – Zips closed
Coats
Lint removed – Top or most appropriate button fastened
Skirts
Lint removed – Waistband tensioners released – Zips checked, lubricated where required – Zips closed
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